Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional terminal block 1 is adapted to be connected to a wire 9. The conventional terminal block 1 includes an insulating base seat 11, a terminal member 12, a pressing member 13, and a releasing member 14. The insulating base seat 11 has a first seat portion 111 and a second seat portion 112 connected to the first seat portion 111 and cooperating with the first seat portion 111 to define a passage 113 that is adapted for insertion of the wire 9 therethrough, and a receiving space 114 that is in communication with the passage 113 and that is adapted to receive an end segment of the wire 9. The terminal member 12 is received in the receiving space 114 and has an end portion 121, and two contact portions 122 bent from the end portion 121 and extending outwardly of the insulating base seat 11. The pressing member 13 has a base portion 131 connected to the second seat portion 112, and a resilient arm portion 132 extending from the fixing portion 131 toward the first seat portion 111. The releasing member 14 is movably disposed in the second seat portion 112, and is operable to bias the arm portion 132 of the pressing member 13 away from the first seat portion ill.
During use, the wire 9 is inserted into the receiving space 114 through the passage 113, and the end segment of the wire 9 pushes the arm portion 132 to deform, thereby permitting the wire 9 to advance further to pass through a gap between the arm portion 132 and the end portion 121 of the terminal member 12. At the same time, a restoring force of the arm portion 132 urges the arm portion 132 to press the end segment of the wire 9 against the end portion 121 of the terminal member 12 so as to position the wire 9 between the arm portion 132 and the end portion 121 of the terminal member 12.
However, since the end portion 121 of the terminal member 12 is flat, the wire 9 may not be effectively secured between the arm portion 132 of the pressing member 13 and the end portion 121 of the terminal member 12, and may be pulled away from the arm portion 132, thus causing electrical disconnection.
Furthermore, since the conventional terminal block 1 includes a substantial number of the abovementioned components, which are individually manufactured, assembling of such components is relatively time consuming and costly.